APPROACH

From Design to Build: predictable engineering

We don't write code until architecture, timeline and budget are locked in. This cuts the cost of errors and gives you a fixed price before Build starts.

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What typically goes wrong in software delivery

Teams often jump straight to code. Two-three months in: requirements drift, scope creep, hidden technical debt. By release: 1.5-2× budget overrun, fragile architecture and a product that's hard to evolve.

Why we work this way

The cost of fixing a bug in production can be up to 10× higher than fixing it during design (industry research). That's why we invest 1-4 weeks in Design before the first commit — it pays back in delivery speed, budget predictability and final product quality.

Four phases of work

Diagnose → Design → Build → Evolve — each phase ships a clear deliverable at a fixed price

Diagnose

1-2 weeks · fixed price

Study the system or the problem. Identify architectural risks, bottlenecks, assumptions and technical debt.

Deliverable

Report with risk map and recommendations

Design

2-4 weeks · fixed price

Architecture, tech stack, roadmap. Lock features, timeline and budget in the contract before Build starts.

Deliverable

Technical spec + fixed-price proposal for development

Build

Two-week sprints

Execute according to plan. Same team that designed. Demos every 2 weeks, direct access to code and task tracker.

Deliverable

Production-ready product

Evolve

Post-launch

Support, monitoring, new features. Performance audits and refactor cycles as load grows.

Deliverable

A system that grows with the business

How this differs from typical development

What contractor engagements often look like — and how we do it

Typical	WIZICO
Start with code — architecture decided on the fly	Design first — fixed price before the first commit
Different contractors for different phases	One team from Diagnose to Evolve
Requirements firm up as you go — scope grows	Scope locked in Design — change requests are transparent
Budget — an estimate within ±50%	Budget is fixed before Build starts
After release — a different contractor for support	Evolve is a continuation of the same contract

Where to start

Diagnose is a standalone product with a fixed price and a clear deliverable. You can stop after any phase.

Performance Audit

Is the system ready for traffic growth? Bottleneck analysis and peak-load scenarios.

1-2 weeks · fixed price

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Architecture Review

Risk map, technical debt and a refactor plan. Before major changes or scaling the team.

1-2 weeks · fixed price

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Infrastructure Audit

Cloud cost optimization and reliability. Performance, security, FinOps.

1-2 weeks · fixed price

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Discovery (for a new product)

From idea to architecture and a fixed-price proposal for development.

2-4 weeks · fixed price

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Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

Why don't you start with code right away?

I don't have a spec — will you help write it?

How long does Discovery take?

Can we agree on a fixed price BEFORE Discovery?

How do you ensure quality in the Build phase?

Why don't you start with code right away?: Without understanding the task, code solves the wrong problem. Discovery (for new product) or Audit (for existing system) give clear boundaries, architecture, budget, risks — and a fixed price for development. Protection for both sides.
I don't have a spec — will you help write it?: Yes, that's Discovery. Over 2-4 weeks the engineering team conducts interviews, designs architecture and UX, prepares the spec + fixed price for MVP development.
How long does Discovery take?: 2-4 weeks for a typical product. Express (1 week) for very simple ones, up to 6 weeks for multi-tenant SaaS or regulated domains (fintech, medtech).
Can we agree on a fixed price BEFORE Discovery?: No, and deliberately. Without design, any fixed price will be either overpriced (insurance against unknowns) or lead to scope creep. Discovery is the path to a reliable fixed price.
How do you ensure quality in the Build phase?: The same team that designed — builds. Demos every 2 weeks, automated testing, code review, performance budgets from the start. After launch — Evolve subscription with SLA.

Start with diagnostics

To assess risks before major investment — order a 1-2 week audit. Fixed price, clear deliverable.

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